Improvement in rotary engines



W. AVBNS & F. FRADLEY. ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 46,436. Patented Feb. 21, 1865.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

WILLIAM AvE'Ns AND FREDERICK ERADLEY, 0E EEOKLYN, NEW YORK IMPROVEMENTIN ROTARY ENGINES.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, WILLIAM AVENS and FREDERICK BRADLEY, of Brooklyn,in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new an dImproved Rotary Engine; and we de hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable thoseskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had totheaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in Which-Figure l represents atransverse vertical section of this invention, theline .r x, Fig, 2, indicating the plane of section. Fig. 2l is alongitudinal vertical section of the same taken in the plane indicatedby the line y y, Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a plan or top View ot' the same, thesteam-chest covers having been removed in order to expose the valves.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.'

This invention consists in a wheel provided with two sets of chambers,to each of which access is hadby two channels situated at ythe oppositeends of the chambers and tapering ott'in opposite directions, incombination with a cylinder tittin g closely to the circumference of thewheel,and with valves which open and close the steam-ports in such amanner that by admitting steam to the chambers of the-wheel a rotarymotion can be imparted to the same in either direction, and by a simplemovementof the valves the motion of the engine can be reversed at anymoment.

' A represents a wheel, which is provided with two sets of chambers, B,and which is firmly keyed to the central shaft, C. This shaft extendsthrough the sides of the wheel A and it has its bearings in. suitablestandards D, asclearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. A pulley, E,mounted on one end there-y of, serves to transmit its motion to theworking-machines, and, if desired, said shaft may be coupled to anothershaft and its motion transmitted to any desired spot.

The wheel A is fitted into a cylinder, F, which fits close to theperiphery of the wheel, and the ltwo sets of chambers B are separat-edfrom each other by a partition, G, as shown in Fig. 3. Flanges a b,projecting from the middle and the ends of the wheel A, prevent theescape of steam over the edges of the cylinder. The iiange a ts into acircular grimvc in the middle ofthe cylinder, and the ila-ngen at theopposite corners of the same, one sol being beveled oi in one 'and theother set in the opposite direction. The channels d com municate throughports e, and the channels 1' through ports e", with the steam-chests G,io which steam is admitted through a pipo or pipes, H. I I are theexhaustfports.

The ports e e' are opened or'closed by valves J, which are situated inthe steam-chests, and which are moved by means of hand-levers K.according to thedirection in which the engine is to move.

In the drawings the ports e are shown open, and steam is admittedthrough the channels d to the chambers B. The motion of the wheel Atakes place in the direction of the arrow marked thereon iu Fig. 1. Ifit is desired to reversethe motion of the engine, the valves J arebrought in such a position that the ports e are closed and the ports eopened. In this case the steam enters through the channels din thechambers B of the wheel A and vcauses the same to revolve in thedirection opposite to the arrow marked thereon in Fig. 1.

The simplicity of this engine is unsurpassed. No packing is required torender the joints tight, no slide-valve or complicated valve-gear isneeded, and the motion imparted to the wheel can be transmitted directlyto the working-machines. I

We claim asanew and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The wheel A,with one or more sets of chambers B, which are provided each with two ychannels, (l d', situated at opposite corners, in

combination with ports c c', valves J,and cylinder F, all constructedand operating sub stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

-WM. AVENS. V FREDERICK FRADL'EY, Witnesses: Y

WM. F. MCNAMARA, M. M. LIVINGSTON.

